Entering the Clochán at Fahan
I was quite surprised at the extent of the beehive huts at Fahan. Officially called clochán, the huts are quite similar to the huts found on Skellig Michael. I was surprised to see one almost as extensive as the one on Skellig Michael. The clochán are made of stone and they typically use the same method of laying one stone on top of another called corbelling. The stones slightly extend from the stone underneath it and eventually meet on top to form a roof. The stones are also slightly inclined downwards to keep the water away from the interior of the hut.
Clochán at Fahan
The clochán are not as well preserved as the one on Skellig Michael. For one thing the huts don’t have roofs anymore. I don’t know if it was because perishable material was used as a roof or it just collapse. Come to think of it, it would be a nightmare if the clochán wasn’t constructed properly and the roof just comes crashing down. Anyway, it is nice to be able to explore the clochán complex without time pressure unlike Skellig Michael. Of course, they won’t have puffin here to keep visitors busy. The clochán at Fahan is a wonderful example of the variety of these structures here in county Kerry.
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